One day after the Jindal administration praised a report by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor regarding Common Core, the Jindal media office circulated an article published in Breitbart supporting the Governor's claim. On Monday, the governor, through one of his education advisors asserted that the legislative auditor agreed with Jindal's primary objection--that Common Core drives curriculum.

In the Jindal email, "In case you missed it", the Breitbart article included the following:

In an ironic twist, a report issued Monday by the nonpartisan Louisiana Legislative Auditor asserts that the Common Core standards are driving curriculum in the classroom, a statement that is in sharp contrast to the meme of supporters who have consistently argued that the Common Core is “just standards” and that curriculum can be decided at the local level.…

The audit, prepared by Daryl G. Purpera, CPA, CFE, and written from a decidedly pro-Common Core perspective, cites “hindrances” of implementation of the standards in schools, such as “the lack of curricula, textbooks, instructional materials, and assessments aligned with the [Common Core] standards” as the reason why states have experienced “challenges” with Common Core. The report suggests that if all curricula, i.e., instructional material and teaching, and testing were aligned with the Common Core standards, the education reform would move more smoothly.…

Purpera is clearly demonstrating that Common Core champions who have repeatedly minimized the impact of the standards to avoid political confrontation (“They’re just standards.”) have been deceptive, so much so, in fact, that he suggests the only way the shift to the Common Core standards can really go smoothly is if all “hindrances” to implementing Common Core-aligned curricula are removed.

In citing the most recent Education Next poll, Purpera ignores the main findings of the survey, which were that support for the Common Core standards has declined in general, and that teacher support for the standards has dropped dramatically since last year, with 76 percent of teachers having supported them in 2013, but only 46 percent favoring them currently. Similarly, in the PDK/Gallup poll cited by Purpera, the main finding was that most Americans who are familiar with the Common Core standards oppose them.…

“We appreciate the Legislative Auditor’s report as it confirms what parents, educators, legislators and the Governor have been saying all along – standards drive curriculum,” said Stafford Palmieri, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s assistant chief of staff and education policy adviser, in a statement. “In black and white, the Auditor states that states, districts and educators have had to revamp curriculum, lesson plans and learning materials to align with Common Core Standards.”

“It’s time for the proponents of Common Core to admit that Common Core equals curriculum. What are they hiding from? If Common Core supporters are proud of the standards, they should be proud that it drives curriculum,” Palmieri added. “Instead, education bureaucrats, elitists and the intelligentsia are trying to wordsmith and dupe parents and educators. It won’t work. Parents and educators are smarter than that.”